The Himalayan 450 is Royal Enfield’s first foray into off-road racing. The firm recently participated in the Swank Rally De Sardegna in Italy.
Salvatore Di Benedetto rode for the brand on a rally-spec Himalayan 450. The photographs show that several cycle parts have been deleted to save weight. The biggest weight savings came from replacing the headlamp unit with a rally-style light. However, the windscreens are a little larger. The bike was also shown with some Royal Enfield aftermarket equipment, including the radiator guard, rally seat, and rear cover. Interestingly, the sump guard does not come from RE. The tyres are knobby in nature, however they are not manufactured by CEAT.
In terms of performance enhancements, there’s a good likelihood the business adjusted the ECU to extract additional power. The bike is also equipped with an aftermarket exhaust. The gasoline tank braces have been maintained to store additional luggage, maybe including spares. The front mudguard was also removed. Interestingly, Royal Enfield has not promoted Salvatore’s rally involvement, but he was observed wearing RE-branded clothing, indicating that it is an official Royal Enfield participation.
